Means for photographing panoramic views.



No. 683,573. Patented oct. l, lam.

o. PAsnuAnELLl.

MEANS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PANURAMIC VIEWS.

(Application led Sept. 11I 1900.)

(No Model.)

4v w 5. f ma LL UNITED STATES PATENT GEEICE.

RESTE PASQUARELLI, OF TURIN, ITALY, ASSIGNOR TO A. LUINO dz CO., OF SAMEPLACE.

MEANS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING PANORAMIC VIEWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 683,573, dated October1, 1901.

Application filed September 11, 1900. Serial No. 29,659. (No model Toall whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ORESTE PASQUARELLI, a subject of the King of Italy,residing at Turin, Italy, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Means for Photographing Panoramic Views, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to means for photographing panoramic views.

In the preferred form of my inventionI provide a camera which is mountedto turn upon a fixed axis and provide means whereby the film is movedpast the exposure position at a rate of speed which is in fixedproportion to the speed of rotation of the camera.

My invention also provides a means whereby the movements of the film andcamera are accomplished in a positive manner at proper relative speeds,preferably by causing the movements of the camera to effect themovements of the film, and provides other important improvements, whichwill be hereinafter referred to.

I have illustrated the form of apparatus I prefer to employ in theaccompanying drawings, in which--` Figure 1 isa vertical section on theline 1 1 in Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2 2in Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 1 0, and 11 refer to details ofconstruction of the camera.

Referring to the drawings, let 1 indicate the camera, which, as shown,is divided by the partitions 2 and 3 into amiddle or exposing chamberand two side chambers, the partitions being joined to the wall of thecamera at their front ends 4 and at their rear ends 5 extending towithin a certain distance from the rear wall of the camera. At theirrear ends the partitions 2 and 3 form a window or space 5 5, past whichthe film travels and at which point it isexposed. The side chambers maybe omitted, if desired, their purpose being to contain the exposed andunexposed portions of the film and suitable rollers for holding thefilm, and .any other construction may be adopted which permits themovement of the unexposed film past the exposure position. Vhen used,the side chambers are dark, the rays of light passing only7 into thecenter chamber. A suitable objective 6 may be mounted in front of thischamber, as shown. The unexposed portion of the film is shown as rolledupon a vertical roller 7 and is drawn past the windrow or space 5 5 overa roller S, against which it is pressed by an elastic disk 9, andfinally passes around a rolle'r 10.4 Any other means for mounting thefilm may be used, that shown being preferred because of its convenienceand simplicity. The desired movement is given to the film in the presentconstruction through the medium of the roller 8, which is rotated todraw the iilm past the exposure position at the appropriate rate ofspeed. I prefer that this movement shall not only correspond to themovement of the camera, but that the movement of the latter shallpositively and accurately move the film at the proper rate of speed andshall automatically govern such speed, so that no matter what movementis given to the camera the film shall respond to such movement. In theconstruction shown the shaft of the roller S is carried beneath thecamera and has fixed to it a pulley 11, around which is passed a cord orbelt 12. To .the top of the tripod 15 or other stationary member isfixed a guide 13, preferably a wheel, as shown, which remainsstationary, while the camera is adapted' to bodily swing about avertical shaft 14, which is concentric with the wheel13. The belt 12passes around the wheel 13 and frictionally engages its periphery, sothat when the camera is moved about its pin 14 the roller S is rotatedthrough the medium of its pulley 11 with a speed which is in fixedproportion to the speed of rotation of the camera. It is of courseobvious that any other means may be employed to eiect such rotation ofthe roller S or the consequent movement of the film. Any means employedfor this purpose should operate so thatI the film travels past theexposure position at substantially the same speed and in the samedirection as the view when the camera is in rotation. This isaccomplished in the present construction by the proper proportioning ofthe pulleys 11 and 13 and roller 8. For the purpose of facilitating theWinding of the exposed film the roller 10 may be provided with asuitable spring, or it may be connected with the roller S by a belt, as

IOD

g Y j esame shown, or other suitable means may be employed for thispurpose. To prevent excessive stretching of the film, it is advisable inthe form of apparatus shown to make the engagement of the pulley 18 androller 10 a frictional engagement, so that the parts may yield when thestrain becomes too great,should this occur. In its preferred form thisfrictional engagement is constructed in the following manner: A pin 183is rigidly fixed to j the bottom of the chamber.l The pulley 18 is madesolid, with a hollow cylinder 181, which can be inverted on the pin 183and freely turn about it. 1A spring 182 is applied to the cylinder 181,or rather a portion of this cylinder may be cut and bent in the form ofa spring, and the roller -10 is finally inverted on the cylinder ,181,so that the spring 182 presses against its interior surface, making thedesired frictional connection between the said roller and the pulley 18.

The photographic impressions are received byI the film during its travelpast the exposure position, each point of the image striking anunexposed point of the film at the beginning of its exposure and movingwith it until it passes the exposure position.

The form of apparatus shown controls the relative movements of the filmand camera or lens, so that no matter what the speed of the camera thespeed of the film is automatically adjusted thereto, thus insuring theaccurate operation of the device.

The focus may be obtained in any suitable manner, as by adjusting theobjective 6. The pictures obtained are more uniformly exposed if adiaphragm similar to that shown at 190 is placed between the objectiveandthe film. The function of this diaphragm is very important, it beingpractically almost impossible to obtain uniform pictures without it. Theaperture of such diaphragm may be rectangular, as shown at 191, Fig. 3,or in the form of a trapezium, as shown at 192, Fig. 4. The last form ispreferred only when the view to be photographed is, for instance, apanorama where the Sky is exceedingly more illuminated than the ground.The diaphragm being narrower in correspondence of the image of the sky,its exposure becomes shorter and the resulting picture is improved. Thetheory is that to obtain a perfectly uniform picture the image projectedon the film must not be limited by sharp borders, but it must bevanishing from the central portion to the sides, and this is obtained bythe employment of a diaphragm having an aperture like 19, whicheliminates portions of the rays gradually from the center to the sides.This function might be helped by making the edges of the diaphragm atits aperture toothed or undulated, as shown at 193 194, Figs. 5 and 6.

Figs. 7 to 10 show a practical construction of a diaphragm embodying thetwo forms of Figs. 3 and 4.

der having two vertical openings diametrically opposite and delimitedeach of them by It consists of a hollow cylina border' parallel to theaxis on one side, while the border on the other side has a certain inclination relatively to the same axis. If the cylinder is in position,as shown at Fig. 7, it operates upon the rays as a diaphragm having arectangular aperture, and in the position of Fig. 9 it operates as adiaphragm having a trapezoidal aperture. In both cases by turning alittle in one or the other direction the cylinder the aperture oropening of the diaphragm is enlarged or narrowed, and consequently theduration of the exposure of the film is increased or diminished. Thesame practical results are obtained by the form of diaphragm shown atFig. 11. two elastic plates fixed to the partitions 2 and 3 and subjectat the top and at the bottom to the action of two couples of screws, sothat4 by working one or the other, or both, couples of screws theopening of the diaphragm can be enlarged or narrowed or enlarged at thetop and narrowed at the bottom, or vice versa.

In apparatus designed for topographic work it is advisable to fix theshaft or pin 14 about which the camera rotates in coincidence with theoptical center of the objective; but this is not necessary in ordinaryapparatus.

For the purpose of affording greater free- It consists of dom ofmanipulation it is advisable to mount the pulley free on the spindle ofthe roller 8 and to fix it thereto when desired by a setscrew 17 or thelike.

It is obvious that a perfect uniformity in the rotary movement of thecamera might be provided for by clockwork or other suitable mechanism;but in practice it is found that good results are obtained by rotatingthe camera by hand, either directly or by means of an arm fixed to thecamera,- or otherwise.

The camera may be provided with an additional disposition facilitatingthe operation by hand when a long exposure is needed. It consists of apulley 20, solid with pulley 11, connected by means of a belt 21 to asecond pulley having about the same diameter 22, which is free to turn011 a pin solid with pulley 13. By turning the pulley 22 by hand,` bymeans of a handle 23,the camera turns slowlyr about its shaft 14, as itwill take several complete revolutions of the pulley 22 to make acomplete revolution of the camera.

As a rule for determining the relation be; tween the several factors ofmovement it may be taken that for one revolution of the objectivethrough three hundred and sixty degrees there should be a film having alength equal to the circumference of a circle that has for its radiusthe distance of the focused image from the optical center of theobjective. Y

I use the word rotate to indicate such movement of the camera (orobjective) as will effect the desired result, including any arc of thehorizon.

What I claim is@ j 1. In a panoramic camera, a winding-on roll, aseparate feed-roll, means for rotating IOO said feed-roll, a pulleyattached to said winding-On roll, and means operated by said feedrollfor rotating said pulley.

2. In a panoramic camera, a winding-on roll, and a separate feed-roll,means for rotating said feed-roll, a pulley attached to said winding-onroll, and a yielding means operated by said feed-roll for rotating saidpulley.

3. In a panoramic camera, a winding-on roll, a separate feed-roll, meansfor rotating said feed-roll, and pulleys attached to said winding-rolland to said feed-roll, said pulleys being in operative connection witheach other whereby said winding-on roll is operated from said feed-roll.

4. In a panoramic camera, a winding-on roll, a separate feed-roll, meansfor rotating said feed-roll, and pulleys attached to said winding-rolland to said feed-roll, said pulleys being in frictional connection witheach other whereby said winding-on roll is operated from said feed-roll.

5. In a panoramic camera, a positive means for propelling a lm past theexposure position at a speed which is xedly proportional to the speed ofrotation of the camera, a roll for receiving the exposed iilm, a pulleyattached to said roll, and yielding means for driving said pulley.

6. In a panoramic camera, acylindrical 3o diaphragm between the exposureposition of the sensitive surface and the objective, said diaphragmhaving Openin gs in its cylindrical walls and the opposite sides of eachopening being of different contour, said openings con- 3 5 stituting apassage for the light to said surface, and said diaphragm adapted to berotated to change the contour of said passage.

7. In a panoramic camera, a cylindrical diaphragm between the exposureposition of 4o the sensitive surface and the objective, said diaphragmhaving oppOsitely-arranged elongated openings in its cylindrical wallsconstituting a passage for the light to said surface, said Openings eachhaving a substan- 45 tially vertical side and a tapered side, thetapered side of the one being next the vertical side of the other, andsaid diaphragm adapted to be rotated to form a passage for the lightthrough it having substantially par- 5o allel sides or one havingtapering sides.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscribing

